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‘Given us hope’: Ariha's mother after MEA's statement on bringing her to India
Ariha was placed in the custody of Germany's Youth Welfare Office or Jugendamt on September 23, 2021, and has been in foster care for over 20 months.
A day after the minister of external affairs (MEA) released a statement on the Ariha Shah case, expressing the intention to bring back the two-year-old child currently under the care of German child services, Ariha's mother, Dhara Shah, expressed her trust in the Indian government's efforts to reunite them. She said the government's firm stance has “given them hope” that their child will soon return to India.
Ariha was placed in the custody of Germany's Youth Welfare Office or Jugendamt on September 23, 2021, and has been in foster care for over 20 months.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Ariha's mother said, "MEA has issued a strong statement regarding Ariha's return. They rightfully emphasised that the child is an Indian citizen and should be raised in a culturally familiar environment. This is in the best interest of Ariha. We hope that she will be sent back to India soon."
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Dhara also mentioned that the ministry of external affairs has shared details of a foster facility in India with the German authorities.
"I trust the Indian government, and I request that once there is intervention at the Prime Minister level in the case, my daughter will return soon," news agency ANI quoted Dhara as saying.
Why was Ariha taken away?
Ariha Shah was separated from her parents - Dhara and Bhavesh Shah - following an accidental injury she sustained at the age of seven months in 2021. Subsequently, she was placed under the care of German child services and has remained in foster care for over 20 months.
An investigation was also conducted against the parents regarding allegations of "child sexual abuse." However, the police case against them was closed in February 2022 without any charges being filed, and a hospital report confirmed the absence of any signs of sexual abuse.
The case has become a significant matter in bilateral relations and was raised during the visit of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to New Delhi in December of last year.
India wants Ariha back
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Friday that both the ministry and the Embassy of India in Berlin have been continuously advocating for the repatriation of Ariha Shah back to India.
"We strongly urge the German authorities to take all necessary actions to expedite Ariha's return to India, as it is her inherent right as an Indian citizen. We are fully committed to ensuring that Ariha Shah is reunited with her family in India," he said.
On Friday, the issue of Ariha's return to India was also highlighted by 59 Members of Parliament (MPs) through a letter addressed to German Ambassador Philipp Ackerman. MPs from 19 political partied in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha expressed their deep concerns and urged the envoy to convey their sentiments to the German authorities regarding the matter.
